Advice needed, should I switch to a different bike?

[sprocketzz]

I have ridden motorcycles for most of my life, but last year I bought my first bike for 2-up riding. I have a 2006 K1200LT, which so far has been a very good bike. My biggest complaints are the cramped cockpit and the slow-speed maneuverability. I am 6'3" and feel like my legs are just too cramped while riding the bike, and the saddle causes a couple of pressure spots on my backside that I don't appreciate. This weekend, my wife and I rode the Beartooth Highway in MT (unfortunately in the rain), and at slow speeds on some of the really tight corners the big bike is a handful. My other bikes are lighter and more agile, but won't work for 2-up riding over long distances. My question for anyone that can help is: is there a bike out there that would give my wife and I good long-distance comfort, give me more leg room and have more "sporty" handling characteristics? A newer K bike, R1250 RT, or GSA? I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!

 

[langoptc]

Being that the only BMW I have ever ridden is the R1200RT and I am 5'9" on a good day, let me share my expert opinion... The cycle-ergo.com website may be a good place to start to give you some guidance on the long distance comfort portion of your inquiry as it can provide you with various measurements associated with the rider's triangle of various bikes. Other than that I got nothing. Good luck on your search!

 

[senseamidmadness]

The "LT" in K1200LT stands for "Light Tank". It was the heaviest motorcycle Motorrad had ever made at the time it debuted and has only recently been surpassed by the R18. As far as I know there's not a lot you can do about that. You could go bonkers replacing every fastener with titanium, replacing steel brackets with aluminum, swapping to a lithium battery, etc., but the majority of the weight just can't be helped unless you make major changes and mods. Any motorcycle can be lightened significantly with enough money spent on custom manufacturing!

Several aftermarket footpeg lowering kits did get made for the Light Tank but in a brief search I couldn't find any in stock new. They're out there though. A pair of those would help your legs feel less cramped.

Your seat discomfort can of course be fixed with a replacement seat, or a professional seat rebuild, by one of the big three (Sargent, Corbin, or Russell). Depends on your preference and the shape of your butt as to which one is best for you. I have never heard or read a single bad thing about Russell's Day-Long seats for what that's worth; I have personally test-ridden with one for about 10 minutes and it was positively plush. I'm one of those freaks who finds stock BMW seats comfortable so I've not yet had a reason to buy an aftermarket sitting apparatus.
Any of the seat makers, if asked nicely, can also add height to your seat, which will help with your cramped leg situation without sacrificing cornering clearance the way lowered footpegs do.


All that being said, if you're looking for a more "sporty" touring ride and you want to stick with Motorrad, the K1600 series have a ton of pep in their step and the GTL model is pretty two-up oriented from what I can tell. The current-year model weighs 40 pounds less than your LT and has 40 more horses in its engine.

 

[rhbike]

I am 6'1" with 34" inseam and ride a K1600GT for mostly 2-up riding and longer distances. First thing to be replacet BMW's torture device that they call a seat which had us squirming uncomfortably within 1 hour. A Russell Day Long raises both seating positions by a minimum of an inch or so, and more if you have the leg length and desire. With minimum extra seat height, I still find leg area cramped on >500 mile days. I am considering cruiser pegs for long distance rides - not to keep my feet there, but to extend my legs for a few minutes every 30 min or so. I won't go with lowering pegs, as they will scrape in corners. The pillion sits fairly high on a K1600 which can be a concern at higher speeds or longer days if they are taller. That led to a taller screen, and so on.

Perhaps some of these options can be applied to to your K1200?

 

[mikegalbicka]

I am 6’2” and own a 2007 R1200RT. It has Russell Day Long seats, Suburban Machinery foot peg lowering kit and two sets of handle bar risers. We ride two up all over the nation with no problem. When riding alone with no bags it is plenty sporty enough for me as well.

As suggested plug your fit into this site to see your position on various bikes.

http://cycle-ergo.com/

 

[Paul_F]

Suburban Machinery in Ohio makes a foot lowering kit and I would expect them to have them for your K1200LT.

It seems that Russell seats tend to be on the high side, at least mine is compared to the stock. Keep in mind that the very, very comfortable custom made Russell seat requires photographs of you on your bike as well as your measurements. I would get the peg lowering kit first for your Russell pics.

As far as slow speed maneuverability I would have the same issues as you. However once when I made took a wrong turn on a narrow backroad, I was very surprised that my short buddy behind me on his K1200LT had made the U Turn more quickly and effortlessly than I had anticipated. For him, the size/weight of the bike made no difference; for me, it certainly would have.

I believe from what others have said, properly setup, your LT is possibly one of the best for long distance touring.

Another friend (tall) loved his 1200LT for highway touring but kept it for less than a year because of the weight and maneuverability in slow riding situations.

I see lots of two up on the road on RTs so I assume they must be comfortable for couple touring (I ride solo). However if one should weigh a bit more than my 150#s, BMW seats often tend to be a bit uncomfortable. Both my Russell Daylong and Corbin seats have allow me 1000 km days on various occasions with no issues.

If I were to get another bike, despite now having shrunk to to less than 5’6”, I’d be ordering a peg lowering kit, bar backs and custom made Russell seats.

 

[motociclista]

I have ridden motorcycles for most of my life, but last year I bought my first bike for 2-up riding. I have a 2006 K1200LT, which so far has been a very good bike. My biggest complaints are the cramped cockpit and the slow-speed maneuverability. I am 6'3" and feel like my legs are just too cramped while riding the bike, and the saddle causes a couple of pressure spots on my backside that I don't appreciate. This weekend, my wife and I rode the Beartooth Highway in MT (unfortunately in the rain), and at slow speeds on some of the really tight corners the big bike is a handful. My other bikes are lighter and more agile, but won't work for 2-up riding over long distances. My question for anyone that can help is: is there a bike out there that would give my wife and I good long-distance comfort, give me more leg room and have more "sporty" handling characteristics? A newer K bike, R1250 RT, or GSA? I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!

Hi sprocketzz,

I advise you to test-ride other BMWs or other brands with your passenger on.
Adding a ride will severely change the way the bike performs.